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Topic Review (Newest First)

09-24-2012 10:54 AM

Paddyd

Re: Wind generator

Yup , I sure am the vender who designed and makes the generator for BOTC
we have over 3000 units out in the GOM with no failures
comparing products side by side , BOTC is a great product and it is made for specifically harsh marine enviroments.
if anyone has any questions they should contact me at anytime

Having been to the actual production facility that makes products for Sunforce. It is a good product , they are made at the same factory as Coleman products in south China ,and they have a good warrenty and product information , knowledgeable staff and phone support from the Canadian Sunforce office.Sunforce makes a good product and they are a respected company.

The Main bearing is a basic non sheilded bearing and inner lubricate used is basic CPC products .For off the grid usage with low humidity and limited enviromental salt and water contact such as a Ranch , cabin or farm it is a great product.The 600 w unit is a large unit for a Sailboat under 50ft set
with a combination of panels it should do everything needed to get done

09-22-2012 08:53 PM

SeaSickFish

Re: Wind generator

i installed the sunforce 600 today after a bit of confusion of their wiring diagrams but it is working as advertised and is pretty quiet you do need a 36 inch clearance for the unit but for a first day test seems to be sturdy and works so far no negative review from my end

09-21-2012 10:01 PM

Leocat66

Re: Wind generator

I too think that solar is the better route over all. I would still go with the Rutland again as it runs at night as well as most of the day down here, and only requires 5kts to get it started. There is usually some breeze after the sun goes down in our area.

09-20-2012 09:00 PM

Bene505

Re: Wind generator

Just noticed the OP has only 1 post... still.

Could he be the vendor of the wind genny he mentions?

Regards,
Brad

09-20-2012 07:59 PM

JonEisberg

Re: Wind generator

Quote:

Originally Posted by CapnBones

My two cents on the wind generator noise, I anchored next to a boat with one and it was loud on my boat. My cabin fans were on because it was hot, and they cancelled out the sound because they are from the 80's and friggin loud. When I turned them off though I could still here the other guys wind generator, I couldn't imagine having to live with that.

Well, as usual, "it depends"...

Some are not bad at all... Unfortunately, the primary offenders in the Screaming Banshee category also are among the most numerous out there, the earlier 3 bladed versions from Air Marine... Newer versions are said to be quieter, but in my observation, this style still has the tendency to produce the most annoying pitch...

Most of the larger, single piece 2 blades like mine, produce a far more "natural", less offensive noise...(it also helps that mine is suspended in the rigging, so minimal vibration through a pole mount is transmitted to the boat) You might be surprised how quickly you'd get accustomed to it, and I've gotten to the point where when lying in my vee-berth, I can generally guess the wind speed to within a knot or two, based on the sound. On many occasions, I've been alerted in the middile of the night to a building breeze, or an approaching squall, solely by the change in the note of my wind gen...

In my observation, the quietest one out there right now - by far - is the D400 from Duogen... It's almost spooky how quiet those things are... Downside is they are very heavy and bulky, and very expensive...

09-20-2012 03:13 PM

Bene505

Re: Wind generator

Quote:

Originally Posted by JonEisberg

As with most things, it largely depends upon where you're sailing...

In a place like the Chesapeake, for example, a wind gen will be pretty useless a good deal of the time...

Down south in the wintertime, however, it's a whole different ballgame, one can be very nice to have...

Well, I started the day not jealous. I guess that's something.

Regards,
Brad

09-20-2012 02:42 PM

Paddyd

Re: Wind generator

too true for most wind generators the bearing and the blades used on most units are basic for the bearings and the blades are just not balanced right .
The bearing has to be for low/high speed and a radial lip seal .....and the blades have to be composite material
Thats why I tell everyone call 409-457-2049 he is one of the smartest engineers around and has great products BOTC Wind & Solar 10 Best Items needed for Cruising | Galveston Island, TX 77551

09-20-2012 10:15 AM

CapnBones

Re: Wind generator

My two cents on the wind generator noise, I anchored next to a boat with one and it was loud on my boat. My cabin fans were on because it was hot, and they cancelled out the sound because they are from the 80's and friggin loud. When I turned them off though I could still here the other guys wind generator, I couldn't imagine having to live with that.

09-20-2012 07:54 AM

JonEisberg

Re: Wind generator

Quote:

Originally Posted by travlineasy

Solar is the best way to go, and even in marginal light conditions they still provide some power, though not much. When the wind's now howling, a wind generator, IMO, it just about useless.

As with most things, it largely depends upon where you're sailing...

In a place like the Chesapeake, for example, a wind gen will be pretty useless a good deal of the time...

Down south in the wintertime, however, it's a whole different ballgame, one can be very nice to have...

09-20-2012 02:00 AM

Bene505

Re: Wind generator

If you get a generator, remember the gas cans.

A friend loaned me a Honda 2000 generator for a few weeks over the summer. I was surprised by how little charging I got on a tank of gas/on a few hours of charging, when compared to the output of the solar panels. IIRC, I got 20 amps of charging for a couple hours run (not the full tank, by the way), run through a Xantrex 2000 inverter charger into 330 amp hours of gel cells. That's 40 amp hours a day. I'd get about the same amp hours with another 100 Watt solar panel, without the hassle and noise. (Even the Honda makes some noise at it's slow speed. I ran it in the evening, and sound carries over water, especially on still nights, so I didn't run it when the stern was facing the closest shore.)

Yes it helped, but really the benefit was when the kids wanted to watch TV or I was using the microwave. This was also the time of the evening when all the interior lights were on. (And I did turn the freezer to a colder temperature to take advantage of the extra amps.) It got so I'd start it until dinner was over and the movie was over.

Don't get me wrong, it was great to have, expecially as a battery-drain preventer. It simply got me wanting more solar instead of a generator. For the price of the generator, I could get more solar panel charging (including the cost of some mounting hardware), and never have to carry any gas. This might be different if you have AGM batteries that can take a quick charge really well, or if you are using a different charger (the Xantrex 2000 was only pushing 13.6 volts, while the engine's alternator pushes 14+ volts during charging). But if you were putting more amps in, the generator would probably not be running at the low rpm setting but at the higher, noisier rpm.

Regardless what you do, get a Victron battery monitor. Without it you don't really know what's going on with your electricity.

Regards,
Brad

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